With Super Bowl LVIII Win, KC Chiefs Can Cement Themselves as NFL's Next Dynasty
The Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from officially being declared a dynasty.
A few years ago, the Chiefs had a chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls after winning Super Bowl LIV and making it back again to Super Bowl LV. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, so now they are hoping to become the first team since the New England Patriots of the early 2000s to win back-to-back titles. It’s been 20 years since that occurred, although the Patriots had two separate dynasties during Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's run in New England.
Winning three Super Bowls in five years seems to be the unofficial rite of passage to a dynasty. The Patriots did it most recently between 2015-2019. Before that, they did it between 2002-2005. The Dallas Cowboys had their run between 1993-1996. We’ll throw in the San Francisco 49ers who won four Super Bowls between 1982-1990, with three of those coming in the late '80s.
Before that, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers winning four titles between 1975-1980. The Chiefs have been to six straight AFC Championship Games, and this is their fourth Super Bowl appearance in that time frame. A win would give them their third Super Bowl title between 2020-2024, firmly planting their flag as the official dynasty of the 2020s. First, though, they need to get that win on Sunday.
Along with team dynasty talks comes the conversation of greatness. Of course, many see Patrick Mahomes as not only the greatest quarterback in the NFL today but one of the greatest to ever play the game. On Sunday, Mahomes will be the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start four Super Bowls. He heads into this week’s game at 28 years old; the next youngest was Brady at 30.
Travis Kelce is another name everyone should be familiar with by now. Kelce has been in the conversation as one of the greatest tight ends ever but with his postseason success, could there be any doubt that he can now be considered the greatest tight end of all time? Kelce surpassed Jerry Rice for most catches in postseason history during the AFC title game and is 435 yards away from Rice’s postseason receiving yards record. Rice also holds the record for most receiving touchdowns in the postseason with 22, but Kelce is creeping up right behind him with 19.
While talking to Sports Illustrated earlier this week, Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe declared Kelce the greatest tight end ever. It’s hard to deny it at this point.
Together, Mahomes and Kelce hold the postseason record for most touchdowns between a quarterback and pass catcher in NFL history, surpassing Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. It’s no wonder why these two are being talked about with some of the greatest players in NFL history. Not only are they playing the game at the highest level, but they're having a good time doing it. Their competitive spirit and fire to win another championship have been on full display this postseason. They're one win away from getting their third ring together.
While Mahomes and Kelce have been grabbing headlines, the Chiefs' defense continues to be the glue that holds this team together. They may be the youngest defense in the league, but they are also one of the strongest units. The defense has allowed an average of 13.7 points per game in the postseason, the fourth-best for a team to reach the Super Bowl in the last 25 years. That's behind only the 2013 Seattle Seahawks, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs’ defense allowed more than 21 points just twice the entire season. It’s been over two months since they’ve given up more than seven points in the second half of a game.
This dynasty has been in the making over the past six seasons through adversity, roster and coaching changes and proving outside haters and doubters wrong along the way. This team is back. This team is here. There’s only one thing left to do: win the game and bring another parade to Kansas City.
